Would you still sell cars at 100 years old?

This morning I wanted to share an article that I recently read. I absolutely love articles like this and what it projects as a message. Stay true to your values , you may not get that next deal but the one after that you will know you did everything right to earn that customers business. We all need computers, phones, social media in different forms but never forget that sometimes all it takes is a one on one sales perspective to reach your targets.

"A Wyoming car dealership has an employee that has been in the retail automotive industry longer than many current salespeople have been alive. Derrell Alexander has been selling cars since 1949. He just turned 100 and he’s still selling.

Alexander has been a loyal employee of White’s Mountain Chevrolet for 66 years. In an era where the customer experience is paramount, it appears Alexander has been on the right track for years. He sees himself as an honest salesman. Speaking in an interview with the local TV News station KCWY-TV Alexander said, “Maybe I’ve missed sales because I didn’t lie to him. But that’s OK.”

No one is more old school than Alexander, since he has been in the business since the 1940s, however the approach that he’s taken to his career appears to be one that has stood the test of time. He also doesn’t take time off. Alexander works six days a week and doesn’t take vacation. While his mobility is limited due to being 100, he is still a very popular face at the dealership and credits his work ethic to his longer life. Alexander said, “As long as I can get out of the house. You sit around the house and watch TV or something, and you don’t last long.”

Alexander also credited the “man upstairs” for his selling proficiency. Certainly, he wouldn’t be able to have lasted sixty-plus years in retail automotive without a strong retail automotive sales skill set, however he declined to share his sales secret with those members of the local media. As far as dedication, this salesman is committed to his job. So much so that his son told reporters “I think what he wants is to be sitting there in front of that fire place and have it be his last day.”

Derrell Alexander has been selling cars for 66 years. The store that hired him has kept him around for a long time. What do you do at your store to find the best employees and once you’ve found them, how do you keep them around?

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